Engaging and disengaging gear for ships&#39; boats.



J. F. O'BRIEN.

ENGAGING AND DiSENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPS BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1918.

Patented Apr.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH F. OBRIEN, OF WEST NEW YO RK, .NEW JERSEY.

ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING GEAR FOR SHIPSrBOATS.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

Applicationflled July 26,1918. Serial No. 246,844.

' -West New York, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engaging and Disengaging Gear 'for Ships Boats, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in engaging and disengaging gear for ships boats.

A rapid and positive freeing automatically of the boat fromthe falls is a great desideratum in life saving equipment, and the primary object of this invention is toproduce'a gear embodying hook members supported or mounted at oppositeends of'the boat, each of which has a weighted *releasing member adapted to automatically release so soon as the'load on the hook caused'by the pressure or strain due to the suspension of the'l boat from such hookis relieved. This release" is caused by a movement of the hook member and releasing member in the same direction from loaded'to releasing positions. Such a release will of course take place when a boat suspended'fromthe hooks is water-borne.

Another objectof my invention is to'produce a'hook which will under'the circumstances above outlined release with great speed and positiveness and will eliminate all liability of sticking, jamming ortangling'of connecting parts.

Another object of said invention is to simplify the construction'of such hooks and so to dispose the'parts thereof as to eliminate the necessity ofmachine work'and accurate adjustments of such" parts.

More particularly my invention comprises the production of: a, gear composed of a hook, comprising a shank portion, a shackle seat portion, and a bill portion, arranged to permit the shackle or ring of the falls to be inserted and seated within the hook, in combination with a releasing member having one endpivoted to the bill o'fithehook and having its opposite end free, extending rearwardly in'the direction of the movement of the hook when'releasing and provided with a suitable weight at'its free end. Said releasing member is adapted to contact with the tackle or ring ofthe falls'by which the boat is suspended and is sensitive to'the presence or absence of the load on said hook, and preferably has an arched portion intermediate its weight and pivotwhich contacts, as aforesaid, with the shackle ring. When so organized, said releasing member is adapted so soon as pressure is relieved from the shackle ring, as for example-when the boat is waterborne, to move downwardly and for wardly relatively to the hook, but moves the hook in the same rearward'direction as the hook is compelled to move in when releasing, whereby the hook will be: released from engagement with the ring. The movement of the lever or releasing member caused by'the weight'will'be downward in the direction in which the-shackle ring is also moving.

In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference'characte'rs designate corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure'l isxa side elevation of the releasing device showing, in full lines, the position of the device in engagement with the shackle or "falls-ring, under load, and also engaged with the mousing loop; and in dotted lines illustrating'the position of'thezdevice when set'for engagement with the shackle;

Fig.2, is a-front'elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1,.in engagement with the shackle but not with'the m'ousingloop.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of the hook shown in Figs. lyandj2'in loadedposition with the mousing loop in looking engagement Fig. 4, is a side elevation 'of'the device shown in'Figs. 1 to 3 in released position;

Fig. 5, is afront elevation-of a modified 0 m of deviceembodying my invention; an

Fig. 6, "is: a plan view of said modified form shown in Fig. 15. I

Referring now to Figs. '1 to 4 of these drawings,

1 indicates the hook of my gear, having, as

shown, a shank portion 1 a shackle-seat portion'lyand a bill portioncl The hook is suitably supported on a boat 2, and, as illustrated is pivoted to swing to opposite sides of 'avertical plane on a vpivot-pin 3,

mounted in a (bearing bracket 4:.

Pivoted to theibill 1 of the hook at 5 and having a freeend extending rearwardly beyond the: shackle seat i1 and preferably beyond the shank l 'of'said hook,;is a releasing-member 5, provided at its free rear wardly-extending end with a suitable weight 6. Said lever 5, has, intermediate said weight and its pivot, an arched portion 7,

which, as illustrated, corresponds in conformation with the bill and a portion of the shackle-seat of the hook, and is also preferably provided with an elbow or toe-portion 8, at the rear of said arched portion 7, which assists during releasing movement in forcing the shackle outwardly.

The hook 1 is limited in its pivotal movement in opposite directions by means of a pin 9, fixed in the bearing bracket 4 and cooperating with abutments 101'0 formed at opposite sides on the base of the hook whereby the hook is permitted to move from the set position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to the releasing position shown in Fi 4.,

ll n order to produce a symmetrical gear and; to provide means for guiding the releasing member, I preferably bi-furcate either the releasing member or the hook member and cause one of such members to be seated. within the other. In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to i, the releasing member or lever is bifurcated as at 5 and has its bifurcated portion extending on opposite sides of the hook and abutting against the bill, shackle-seat and shank portions thereof.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the hook member 11 is bifurcated beginning at its shank portion 11 This bifurcation includes the shackle seatand bill portion, and the weighted releasing member is seated centrally between such bifurcated portions and pivoted to the said bill portion at 12. This form of hook may also be provided at its lower end with a knuckle seat intowhich fits a bear- 7 ing knuckle 13; The parts are pivotally connected by a pivot pin 14 and the hook is limited in its movements by the pin 15 fixedin the lmuckle13. I

In both constructions the releasing. member is preferably provided with an extension lip 16 at the front side of the pivot which is adapted to cooperat with a loop 17 pivoted atits lower end at a fixed'point, as, for example, to a bearing projection 1 7 on the bearingbracket 4, for the purpose of mousing the hook as indicated in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: To secure the hook, it is preferably moved into the set position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the shackle-ringlS is placed beneath the device and hoisted up till the loaded position of the device shown in full line in said Fig. 1 is reached. The hook now being loaded the boat to which it is attached may be lowered over the side of the ship. So soon as "the load is relieved from the hook, as, for example, when the boat is waterborne, the releasing-member will be caused to swing backward'ly on its pivot pin 3 carrylng the releasing-member therewith,

and this movement of the hook and releas ing members in the. same direction causes an exceptionally quick and positive release and eliminates the passing through the tackle ring of any loose or flexible parts which'are likely to'stick or become jammed or to cause a tangling during the releasing movement or thereafter.

Under certain conditions, it may be; desirable to mouse an automatically-actuated hook, and for this purpose the pivoted-1 mousing loop 17 is simply swung over the; extension lip or hook 1P6, whereupon -the shackle will be quickly and safely locked by the weight 6 within the hook but maybe readily released: by a tilting of the weight. Vlhcn. the hook is so locked, the shackle cannot escape as is the case w-henja hook is moused by means of a rope, lanyard or; other flexible device. t I

Having described, my invention I 'claim;

l. Ingear for engaging and disengaging theshackle from ships boats, the combination, with a hook and meansforsuitaably supporting the same on a boat, of a releasing member pivoted at one of its. ends to the front of the hookand having a tree oppor site end extending rearwardly from said pivot, and means at said free end for; causing sa'ld lever tosw-ing on itspivot and eject V the shackle ring from-themonthof thehook, when pressure is relieved therefirom.

2. Ina gear for engaging:andgdisengaging the shackle from ships bo-ats,,-the combination with a hook and meansfor pivotally supporting the same'ona shipsboat, of a releaslng lever having one end pilvoted at the bill-of the hook and its opposite-end free and extending rearwardly, and a suitable weight at said rear end to, cause the movement of the hookand lever in thesame direction from engaging toreleas'ing positlon.

3. In a gear for engaging and disengag ing the shackle from ships boats, the combination withahoo-k having a;bill,1a fingseatportion and a shank portion, and mea s. forpivotally supportingthe same on. aships boat, of a releasing-lever having one end pivoted at. the bill the pivot to the hook to cause the same to move backwardly away from 'the shacklering and'to: carry the lever therewith.

4:. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from shipsiboats, the combination with a hook having a bill,iaaring.-seat portion and a shank portion,. and means for pivotally supporting thesame on aships boat, of a releasing lever havin one end pivoted at the" billof the hool'o-ar'i its opposite end free and extending rearwardly beyond the shank of the hook and provided with a suitable weight at said free end to cause the said lever to be moved downwardly and forwardly and to transmit movement through the pivot to the hook to cause the same to move backwardly away from the shackle ring and to carry the lever therewith, and a metallic mousing device adapted to close the mouth of the hook when the same is in loaded position.

5. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook having a bill, a ring-seat portion and a shank portion, and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, of a releasing lever havin one end pivoted at the bill of the hook an its opposite end free and extending rearwardly beyond the shank of the hook and provided with a suitable weight at said free end to 1 cause the said lever to be moved downwardly and forwardly and to transmit movement through the pivot to the hook to cause the same to move backwardly away from the shackle ring and to carry the lever therewith, one of said members bein bifurcated and the other seated within said bifurcated member.

6. Ina gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships Iboat, said hook having a shackle-seat, a bill portion and a shank portion, of a releasing member comprising a lever having one end pivoted at the bill of said hook and its opposite end free and extending rearwardly beyond the shank of said hook, said lever being provided with a suitable weight at said free end whereby the releasing lever and hook are caused to swing rearwardly away from the shackle to releasing position, and means on said shank portion for limiting the pivotal movement of said hook.

7. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, said hook having a shackle-seat, a bill portion and a shank portion, of a releasin member comprising a lever having one en pivoted at the bill of said hook and its opposite end free and extending rearwardly beyond the shank of said hook, said lever being provided with a suitable weight at said free end and a shackle-contactin portion intermedi -'and-=a-'shank portion, of a releasin member comprising a lever having one on pivoted at the bill of said hook and its opposite end free and extending rearwardly beyond the shank of said hook, said lever being provided with a suitable weight at said free end and a shackle-contacting portion arched to,

conform in shape with a part of the shackleseat of the hook and located intermediate its pivot and weight.

9. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, said hook having a shackle-seat, a bill portion and a shank portion, of a releasin member comprising a lever having one en pivoted at the bill of said hook and its opposite end free and extendin rearwardly beyond the shank of said hoo said lever being provided with a suitable weight at said free end and a shackle-contacting portion located intermediate its pivot and weight and being arched to conform in shape with a part of the shackle seat of the hook and having an elbow at its rear end extending within the shank of the hook.

10. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, of a releasing lever having one end pivoted at the bill of the hook and its opposite end free and extending rearwardly and a suitable weight at said rear end; a short extension at the front side of said pivot, and mousin means pivoted contiguous to the base of t e hook and adapted to engage said extension.

11. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, of a releasing lever having one end pivoted at the bill of the hook and its opposite end free and extending rearwardly and a suitable weight at said rear end; a short extension at the front side of said pivot, and a metallic mousing loop pivoted at a fixed point at its lower eng and engaging said extension at its upper en 12. In a gear for engaging and disengaging the shackle from ships boats, the combination with a hook and means for pivotally supporting the same on a ships boat, of a releasing levcr having one end pivoted at the bill of the hook and its opposite end free and 4; asagna? extending rea-rwardly-and a suimagble weight oi New Yerk, in the cmuntyxaf New York at. Sfixid new" wand; an exfiensian having a and Staterof New York this 25th day of July hwked pwbiom ad; the from side of said A. D. l9l8 pivot alml 2v metallic'loop-pivsted at in fixed v JOSEPH F-AOBRIEN. 5 point at :i-tshlolwer and and. engaging said Witnesses:

hook -a;t.'-'i,t.s.1.1pper-end; LILLIAN MBER,

Signed m1 fihebonougfh of Manhattan, city v ANNA OBRIEN,

(102165 hi t ibe obtaineifnr. flue (tents, each,,hy addressing the flommissiqner ofl. Patents 1 Washington, D..-'G.l' 

